Miscellaneous News

FriedButter

Colonel
Registered Member
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Mysterious US military flight to Afghanistan sparks speculation about Bagram air base​

A US military cargo plane that flew into Afghanistan last week has sparked speculation about renewed American control on the strategic Bagram air base.

According to local media reports, the C-17 aircraft took off from Doha’s Al Udeid military base, arrived in Afghanistan via Pakistan on Sunday, and landed at Bagram.

The aircraft was reportedly carrying senior US intelligence officials, including CIA deputy chief Michael Ellis, and military equipment, Khaama Press reported.

The outlet claimed the Taliban had handed over the base, which president Donald Trump expressed interest in reclaiming during his presidential run, to the US.

The claim was swiftly denied by Taliban's chief spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid who described it as “propaganda”. He said the Taliban had complete control of the air base.

American takeover of the base was “impossible”, Mr Mujahid said, and “there is no need for any country’s military presence in Afghanistan at present and the Islamic Emirate will not allow such an action”.

Zia Ahmad Takal, a deputy spokesperson at Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, issued a denial as well. “This news is not correct,” he told The Independent.

The Independent has reached out to the US defence department for comment.

The Bagram air base, north of the capital Kabul, served as the command node for American and allied Nato forces for two decades as they waged a war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

The base, the size of a small city, was captured by the Taliban soon after Western troops vacated it, shutting off power and slipping away as they withdrew from the country, in the summer of 2021.
Bagram has two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls which protect each aircraft. One of the runways, built in 2006, measures 12,000ft long.

It also boasts a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and hangar-sized tents filled with supplies like furniture.

Mr Trump has repeatedly talked about taking control of the Bagram base. He claimed last month that Washington planned to return to the base because it now allegedly hosted Chinese troops.

“I am the one who got our military presence to under 5,000 but we were going to keep Bagram, not because of Afghanistan but because of China, because the air base is exactly one hour from where China makes its nuclear missiles,” Mr Trump said. “So, we were going to keep Bagram.”

Bagram was one of the largest air bases in the world, complete with “one of the biggest and most powerful runways”, the US president added. “And we gave it up. And you know who is occupying it at the moment? China. Because Biden gave it up. So, we are going to keep that.”

At the time, Mr Mujahid dismissed Mr Trump’s comments as “emotional” and said US officials should “refrain” from making "statements based on unsubstantiated information”.
The claim was swiftly denied by Taliban's chief spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid who described it as “propaganda”. He said the Taliban had complete control of the air base.
The aircraft was reportedly carrying senior US intelligence officials, including CIA deputy chief Michael Ellis, and military equipment, Khaama Press reported. The outlet claimed the Taliban had handed over the base

Why would the Taliban give Bagram to the US military but the rumored C-17 flight is interesting.
 

GOODTREE

Junior Member
Registered Member

Spanish PM to visit China​

Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
2025-04-08 16:29:17

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit China from April 10 to 11, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced here Tuesday.

Noting this is Sanchez's third visit to China in three years, spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing that during his visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Sanchez, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang will hold talks with Sanchez.

Spain is an important partner of China in the European Union (EU), Lin said, adding that the two countries uphold the spirit of mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual benefit when developing bilateral relations, and that China-Spain relations are at the forefront of China's relations with European countries.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership. Lin said that it is hoped that the two sides, taking this visit as an opportunity, will deepen strategic mutual trust, expand opening-up and cooperation, join hands to meet global challenges and push for greater development of bilateral relations.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

Ringsword

Junior Member
Registered Member
He is literally after extorting money. I am telling it, unless the US Congress steps in, or China blinks for some reason, normal relations with the USA are over for most countries. This behavior will have a lot of political consequences.
Better yet large manila envelopes full of USD cash marked for "Fire Protection Services" addressed to "The Donald" as a form of tribute/gifts/insurance/fees for just being able to exist in the same planet as the "Orange Emperor of Everything"Divine Right of Kings et al.
 

vincent

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Moderator - World Affairs
I really hope that Trump go forward with taking Greenland and abandon Ukraine to its inevitable demise in the hands of the Russians.
I want to look in the clownish faces of the people of this paleolithic useless cold war relic alliance if that happens.


View attachment 149651
He has seen nothing yet. If China's export to the West is reduced, the production capacities can be used to produce weapons. I think Russia may need some.
 

manqiangrexue

Brigadier
He has seen nothing yet. If China's export to the West is reduced, the production capacities can be used to produce weapons. I think Russia may need some.
LOL That's what I was thinking. Chinese shipbuilders should be like, "Man Trump is a real tough opponent. Totally cratered our orders and it was so hard to survive... until the PLAN offered to buy out our full capacity basically at cost to keep us afloat so now we build about a dozen 055A and 2 dozen 052D for them every year at this shipyard. Yeah we're a small yard but we work hard."

America:
giphy.gif
 
Last edited:

bebops

Junior Member
Registered Member
The tariff on all countries are just smoke and mirror. The goal is directed towards China.

Why Vietnam got 40% tariff? It is because Vietnam allows China to redirect imports into US. Both Vietnam and China made money from that.

Right now, US is trying to remove completely China from any trade while trade with others.
 

Biscuits

Colonel
Registered Member
LOL That's what I was thinking. Chinese shipbuilders should be like, "Man Trump is a real tough opponent. Totally cratered our orders and it was so hard to survive... until the PLAN offered to buy out our full capacity so now we build about a dozen 055's and 2 dozen 052D for them every year at this shipyard. Yeah we're a small yard but we work hard."

America:
giphy.gif
Make gunboat diplomacy great again.

Normalize driving down gunboats to plunder any country that aids or acts friendly with US, until US pays compensation on top of owed debt.

With an already crashing smaller (much smaller even, if we look at consumption rather than notoriously unreliable gdp) economy and 300x less shipbuilding capacity, US can't pay third party nations nor give them enough weapons to stop China from parking ships and planes outside and free dropping bombs until they give EVERYTHING they have to China in US' stead. That needs to be the deal! Help China collect from US, or you'll be collected in place of US.
 
Top